Mohann Krish  
Like anybody else, I too wanted to enter into the ‘online business’ bandwagon. And, I wanted to get everything FREE … to make money. Nothing unusual in that.
I had joined a free hosting site, made a few web pages on things I knew a little bit. I got Google AdSense ads displayed. It was good but …. no money! Then I got into AdWords, got my first check from Google for a measly $ 116 after struggling for 6 months. I was spending a lot on AdWords & the inevitable happened ……….Dubious clicks....Then several ‘gurus’ advised me (via emails!) about SEO, niche keywords, affiliate marketing, traffic booster techniques, blogging, blah blah blah….I tried all these after a sincere study. I bought (spending $$$!) books on ‘How to earn TRUCKLOADS of money’,  ‘How to keep the cash register ticking even when SLEEPING’, and photos of some Jacks cooling off in distant beaches (Rolls Royce parked in front) with internet money…..Then I was into the next thing what some noble souls advised ……….‘article marketing’! I was advised to publish articles in EzineArtcles.Com (Good Advice, certainly!). I became a platinum level author even before my 10th article was published! In between, some worst news came from (who else?!) Google – they terminated my AdSense account. I didn’t know why. I was upset, down, dejected but I had the zeal to survive.Next, I came across Squidoo.Com! What a wonderful site!!! I made a page on Free Tools for Online Business to help newbies. Not that I became an expert or guru but during my failures & struggles I had come across some good FREE STUFF. But… the effort is so tedious – you have to make about 50 web pages to qualify as a Giant! The best among the Squidoo Lensmasters (among 5000000) was making about $ 1000 a month (as they claimed). I wasn’t making even $ 10 a month – the one time I made $ 16 was when somebody bought a book from my lens. It is good in several aspects but requires a lot of work for the measly checks.Later, I turned to ‘Blogging’ which was the worst decision  ……….Yes, Blogging! By this time, I was doing everything that was recommended:•    Website Design ( I learnt HTML, CSS, JavaScript etc.!)•    Submission to directories•    Article writing •    Joined forums, social media networks•    Commented on others’ blogs (day in & day out)•    Started pinging everywhere!•    Wrote a few free e-books in pdf •    AdSense, AdWords, PPC etc.•    Joined ClickBank, PayDotCom, PayPal etc.•    Bought ‘Article Submitter’•    Tried selling on eBay (too!)•    Didn't spare Amazon either!I realized I was good at writing (to a large extent, that is). So, I turned to blogging. In the beginning it was good. But the problem is – you have to keep on writing & writing. It is not possible as I have a day job. I had my hand in HubPages, Blogger, Rediff etc. I had no interest in Twitter, FaceBook etc. but I thought, ‘Why leave these two?’ The worst aspect of these two is that you realize their worthlessness after some rivers have flown down the bridge. I had missed one fundamental issue ……..The fundamental issue, as Google points out again is, “Content is King!” Soon I realized the BIG mistake I had been making all along. I was going into others’ expertise – where my knowledge was drawn mostly from the internet – and was unable to provide ‘new’ spider-worthy content.Some good soul had sent a free e-book on ‘content’. The author was clear in his approach – everybody has some skill or the other. It has to be presented in a readable fashion, have substance, be useful to at least some people, if not all, and be focused in one’s own niche. ‘Niche’ is this, not some long-term keyword (as commonly propagated). For example, Google’s niche is its search algorithm.I have a fairly good knowledge of a subject.  When I developed a free website with fresh content on this subject, I was ranking in top 5 positions on Google for several related keywords on the subject. I was selling a software (basically, an Excel Worksheet based program) on it which made my PayPal account swell (a bit, that is). Soon, I was purchasing some online stuff from my PayPal balance.Until one day I got an email ………..The mail from Yahoo said: GeoCities Free would no longer be available! That was the last damper (or even dampener). I was nearing my goal albeit circuitous routes. But nothing was reliable or sturdy enough to stay long. I started looking for sources that could still be eluding me depriving me of additional exposure and experience.Next, I turned to ‘Affiliate Marketing’. Soon, I had downloaded several free books from gurus and wannabes alike. Everywhere they were mentioning ClickBank, ClickBank and ClickBank!  I found the so-called squeeze pages too similar & boring. Then, some of them ask you to repeatedly fill forms with name and email address. My patience was running out. I did not want to spend on auto-responders in pure fright of the costs involved. I came across this site but did not decide immediately…………….I have at last succeeded in realizing that there is a good source where all my trials & tribulations, methods & practices, processes & channels etc. are bundled together and help you in ‘Building a Business’, not just, ‘Building a Website’.Every day that passes is a day lost from owning a Top 1-3% site. Visualize yourself with a profitable, long-term and ever growing e-business that is yours.MohannA Profitable, Long-term and ever growing e-Business
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May 7th 2011 22:18